Apparatus for dyeing or otherwise treating fibrous materials



April 10, 1951 2,548,740

. J. M. RUGH APPARATUS FOR DYEING 0R OTHERWISE TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed April 2S, 1948 .//5 INVENToR. fO/ ./II @ag l 4f 'BY l ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 10, 1951 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DYEING OR OTHERWISE TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS Application April 278, 1948, Serial No. 23,696

3 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for dyeing or otherwise treating Wool bers or the like.

In certain prior apparatuses employed for dyeing or otherwise treating wool fibers, the wool is contained in a closed vessel and the treating liquid under pressure is passed through the obtain a better circulation of the treating liquid throughout the wool stock in a manner to create less pressure in the upper portion of the vessel and thus lessen compression of the wool stock so as to permit a more uniform distribution of the liquid therethrough to thereby finish the wool in a more uniform and fluffy state.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide self-contained means within the treating vessel for circulating the liquid therethrough.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement whereby the liquid circulated through the wool stock wil1 be drawn to the circulating mechanism from opposite sides of the vessel.

Another object of the invention is vthe provision of a conduit through which a heating medium may be passed to heat the liquid and wool stock and also a cooling medium may be passed to cool the wool stock after treatment thereof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a central sectional View through a Wool stock treating apparatus embodying my invention; Y

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view showing the manner of attaching the liquid circulating device to the bottom of the vessel.

In a. machine or apparatus of this character, a

tub or cylindrical vessel designated generally I having a bottom wall II and a closure I2 is usually provided for containingthe woolr stock and the treating liquid. `In carrying out my'invention I provide a perforated plate I3 which is spaced from the bottom wall II providing a well I 4 and an upper chamber or compartment I5 into which is loaded wool stock to be treated. A vertical central conduit I6 open at the upper end extends from the bottom I I to a point above the level of the wool stock. 'Ihe lower end portion of the conduit I6 is provided with opposite branch conduits I'I and I8 having a common wall I9 extending upwardly therebetween a substantial distance so as to provide a baille 20 for directing liquid entering the conduits I 'I and I8 upwardly into the conduit I6. Flanges 2| (see Figures 2 Vand 3) are provided on the branch conduit for for transmitting power to the shaft. There is attached to the drive shaft 23 to be rotated thereby a right-hand impeller 3| and a left-hand impeller 32. The impeller 3| is positioned within pellers, liquid from the well I4 will be drawn into theA branch conduit and through the baille 20 directed upwardly to pass out of the conduit I6 at the upper end thereof.

In the closure I2 I provide an outlet conduit 33 which may be provided with a manually operable valve 34 so as to control the flow of liquid through the conduit. This conduit extends to Ydischarge into an expansion tank -35 positioned adjacent to the vessel l0. The expansion tank 35 is open at the upper end thereof and has an outlet opening 36 in the bottom wall thereof. A conduit 3l extends from the opening 36 intoV the wel1 I4 whereby liquid in the expansion tank 35 may ow therefrom into the well III. The conduit 3'I also 'provides for draining both-the vessel I0 and the `expansion tank and to this end, a drain conduit 38 is attached to the conduit 3'I and isy provided with a valve 39 to open or close the conduit 38 which may extend to any desired location or sump.V v

The liquid for treating the wool stock is usually heated, and for this purpose, I have provided a header 40 which in the present instance is a form of arcuate perforated pipes 4I, 4I each closed at one end by means of caps 42. The header 40 is of a circular form and is positioned in the lower portion of they well I4 and is provided with a tting 42 attached to the adjacent ends of the pipes 4I 4I', a tubular portion 43 extending therefrom outwardly of the vessel I0. This tubular portion 43 opens into the header 49, and a conduit 44 extends through the tubular portion 43 and also opens into the header 49,. Theconduit -44 `and the tubular portion 43 may be secured to each other such as by means of welding as at 45.

Steam is introduced from a suitable supply through the conduit 44 to flow through the header 4D and out thereof through the perforations trolled by choosing a conduit of a size to restrict the ow of liquid therethrough so as to provide the desired pressure in the upper portion of the compartment I5.

In providing for the liquid to pass out of the compartment I5 into the well I4 the same is distributed more or less uniformly over the entire bottom wall I3, and in drawing the liquid from either side of the well I4 to be recirculated through th'epipe I6, a more uniform distribution of the liquid is had through the Ywool mass with iesspressure required in the upper portion of the compartment I5. vLess pressure in the upper portion of the compartment I5 provides less compression or packing of the wool stock whereby the Wool stock finishes in a more uniform and uiy state'tha'n in prior apparatuses of this character.

therein to mix with and heat the liquid in a usual well-known manner. A1 valve 46 is provided for `controlling the flow of steamthrough the con- Conduit 41 may lead from a cold ,water supply.

When it is desired to cool the wool mass after treatment thereof the Valve 4B is operated -to close the conduit 44 to the passage o steam therethrough, and the valve 48 is opened to permit cold water under rcontrol to flow through and out of the header 49 to intermix with `the treating liquid,

so as to cool the same and thereby cool the wool mass. By this arrangement the cooling liquid is introduced within the well ina more uniform manner. i

In the operation of the apparatus the vessel is '1 filled with a liquid to a level reaching substantially that of line 2-2 of Figure 1. vA predetermined amount of wool stock is next loaded into thechamber I5 and packed to the required level such as by wetting the same manually in any convenient manner. A perforated plate 49 of a diameter substantially that of the vessel I0 is positioned torest upon the wool mass, and the closure I2 is secured in place such as by means of bolts 50 to seal the vessel. The chemical treating substance may be introduced into the expansion tank' 35 there to mix with the liquid therein and to ilow into the well I4 through the conduit 37.

With the valve 46 open to permit the flow of steam through the conduit 44 so as to heat the liquid, the shaft23 may then be set into motion so as to rotate the impellers 3l and 32 to move or pump the liquid from the well I4 up the conduit I6 onto the wool mass. The liquid will flow downwardly through the wool mass and out through the perforated bottom I3 into the well I4. The flow of liquid through the wool mass will be at a rate less than that pumped up the conduit I6, and the space above the perforated plate 49 will be lled with the liquid which will escape through` the conduit 33 into the expansion tank 35. However, the flow of liquid through the conduit 33 into the expansion tank 35 will be controlled by means of the valve 34 such as to permit a pressure in the upper part of the compartment I5 to build up just suliicient, so as to place the liquid under pressure to movedownwardly through the wool mass. While I have shown a valve v34 for controlling the ilow of liquid through the conduit 33,this new may` also bereadilyconthe vertical conduit.

l. An apparatus for dyeing or otherwise treatingnbrous materials comprising a vessel for containing said materials and the treating liquid, said vessel having a perforated partition spaced from the bottom thereof providing a compartment spaced from the lower portion of the vessel for containing the material to be treated and a sump below said partition, a closure for said vessel, an outlet at the upper portion of said vessel, an expansion chamber, a iirst conduit from the lower portion of said expansion chamber to the lower portion of said vessel, a second conduit 'from said outlet to the top of said expansion chamber, means for controlling iiow of liquid through said second conduit, a vertical conduit in said vessel extending from the sump through said partitionzto' above the level of the said material in said compartment'and having an opening in the low-er portion thereof exposed to the liquid in said sump, means including a rotatable impeller positioned in the last said opening for moving the liquid from the sump upwardly through said conduit in a 'volume greater than may ilow through said controlled conduit, whereby tobuild a pressure in said vessel above the level of said material to force said liquid downwardly through said material, and through said perforated partition to said sump thus bypassing the circulation through the expansion chamber.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a heating coil is present in the sump for heating the liquid in the vessel.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vertical conduithas a pair of oppositely directed openings and there is an impeller in each opening for directing the liquid upwardly through JOI-IN M. RUGHj I REFERENCES CTED rEhe iollowing references are'of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,029 Thies Nov. 13, 1894 555,570 Finney Mar. 3, 1896 673,125 Jones Apr. 30, 1901 955,993 Psarski Apr. 26, 1910 1,079,247 Hussong Nov. 18, 1913 1,131,084 Rau Mar. 9, 1015 1,338,217 Dudley Apr. 27, 1920 2,482,319 Casse Sept. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 114,668 A Germany Nov. 1', 1900 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DYEING OR OTHERWISE TREATING FIBROUS MATERIALS COMPRISING A VESSEL FOR CONTAINING SAID MATERIALS AND THE TREATING LIQUID, SAID VESSEL HAVING A PERFORATED PARTITION SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF PROVIDING A COMPARTMENT SPACED FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE VESSEL FOR CONTAINING THE MATERIAL TO BE TREATED AND A SUMP BELOW SAID PARTITION, A CLOSURE FOR SAID VESSEL, AN OUTLET AT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL, AND EXPANSION CHAMBER, A FIRST CONDUIT FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL, A SECOND CONDUIT FROM SAID OUTLET TO THE TOP OF SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FLOE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT, A VERTICAL CONDUIT IN SAID VESSEL EXTENDING FROM THE SUMP THROUGH SAID PARTITION TO ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE SAID MATERIAL IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND HAVING AN OPENING IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF EXPOSED TO THE LIQUID IN SAID SUMP, MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE IMPELLER POSITIONED IN THE LAST SAID OPENING FOR MOVING THE LIQUID FROM THE SUMP UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONDUIT IN A VOLUME GREATER THAN MAY FLOW THROUGH SAID CONTROLLED CONDUIT, WHEREBY TO BUILD A PRESSURE IN SAID VESSEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID MATERIAL TO FORCE SAID LIQUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID MATERIAL, AND THROUGH SAID PERFORATED PARTITION TO SAID SUMP THUS BYPASSING THE CIRCULATION THROUGH THE EXPANSION CHAMBER. 